Author's notes: Thanks for you to all who reviewed my last dip in to the life of the Jane's. I hope you enjoy this one.
Being married to Patrick has brought some big surprises, she thought she knew the man after all their years together but she's found out that there's a lot he's kept hidden. But then perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised as she hides a lot about herself from work too. She doesn't believe in mixing her personal life with work, well at least she didn't, now, they're intertwined in a way that there's no separation. But the biggest surprise of all is discovering that the man who spends half his day lying on a couch and stays clear of any form of work, is a diy wizard.
He loves to tear things down and transform his spaces into something new and beautiful and he's good at it too.
They'd been looking for a place of their own for weeks, nothing seemed right. Before they started the search she made them sit down together and make a list of the things they wanted from their new home. What things they were willing to compromise on and what they're not. He argued at first pointing out that there was no need as he already knew what was on her list. She told him well done him, but she didn't know and would like to find out for herself. Her list was a bit longer than Patrick's, on his list was a plug for his kettle, and room big enough to hold a long couch. She'd waved his paper in front of him.
"Seriously Patrick is this all you want?"
"Yea, pretty much. Homes are places to feel comfortable and safe, all I need for that is a couch, tea and you."
"You have all those at work."
"True, but there are a bunch more people as well and I like having you all to myself. Now let's have a look at your list."
"I haven't finished it yet, this is just the first draft."
"What you mean is that now you've seen my list you want to trim yours down to a less demanding size."
He held out his hand for the list.
"Give to me in it's unadulterated form, I'm sure our lists combined will add up to a lovely house."
She reluctantly handed it to him and he looked the page up and down letting out a low whistle.
"My there are a lot of requirements."
Teresa tried to grab the paper back but he whipped it out of reach.
"Just kidding my dear. Is this like your house in Washington?"
"Yea, I loved that house, it was my first real home. My apartment in Sacramento I never seemed to have time to settle in to. It wasn't perfect, but it was close."
Patrick takes her in his arms.
"Oh and what was it missing?"
"An infuriating, know who it all, who always has to be right, who rubs everyone up the..."
She finds herself unable to speak as Patrick shuts her up with a kiss. He finally lets her up for air.
"You were saying?"
"It was missing an insane kisser."
They sit in front of the laptop and search the realty listings.
Four weeks later they're still no nearer finding a place, or so Lisbon thinks. On the Saturday Patrick mysteriously disappears, after a kiss and a declaration of having a surprise. Three hours later he's back carrying long tube under his arm. He lays them out on the table and there are drawings of her perfect house. Patrick looks smug.
"What do you think?"
Teresa can't take her eyes off the drawings, She taking in every detail. Patrick watches her reaction with deep satisfaction, he did get it right. She tears her eyes away to look at him.
"Where is this place? When can we go see it?"
"We've already seen it?"
"That's nonsense Patrick, we've haven't viewed this place or we would have bought it."
"It's the house we viewed on Saturday."
"No it isn't, it didn't look anything like that."
"No it doesn't yet, but we can make it look like this."
"Remodel it? I don't know about that. It looks a lot of work and we'd have to find the right people,"
"We already have the right people."
Teresa's eyes flash.
"Are you telling me you've already arranged everything without talking to me first."
"No I mean I'll do it, and you can help."
Teresa can see that Patrick's being sincere and is trying very hard not to laugh, but a smile bursts through followed by a snort. Jane looks over at her with a scowl.
"Very ladylike I must say."
"Seriously Jane you're saying that you can make that neglected house, that we saw, look like this."
Her hands sweep across the drawings.
"Urm, Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not just all brains and looks, I've got brawn too...and skills."
"I know your skills Patrick - getting in to trouble being top of the list."
Lisbon's horrified at the thought of how much could go wrong.
"What if I give you proof. I should've thought of this before. I have to go out again."
"Where?"
"Storage unit. I'll be right back."
"Storage unit? Why? Look I'll come with you, I'm not being left here alone again."
She takes out her keys.
"Claim drivers seat."
Patrick gives her a kiss on the cheek.
"Of course my dear. We're in not in a hurry."
Patrick unlocks the storage room door and lifts it up. He scans the items. Most of the stuff are items that they've bought in anticipation of moving in to their new house. Items they both love and were on sale so they snatched them up. The rest is the few items he saved after selling his house in Malibu. He moves towards these items and spies the box he's after. Teresa follows him and watches as he opens the box and delves in. He can't find it at first try, obviously it's at the bottom so he begins to lift some of the top items out. Teresa picks up a worn stuffed purple pony and fingers it's maine.
"That's not Charlotte's it's the first thing I ever gave Angela. I won it on the hoopla at the fair."
"You mean you actually won something on those things. I could never get the hoop to go over the big items."
Patrick stops rummaging and looks at her with a cheeky smile.
"Well it does help when you know the insider tricks. Next time the fair's in town I'll win something for you."
"No."
"No? You don't want a purple pony of your own, because the way you're almost cuddling that thing, it looks like you would love one."
"No, I want you to show me the insider trick and I will win one for myself."
Patrick's eyes twinkle
"That's my Teresa."
Of course it at the very bottom, Jane almost disappears inside the box reaching for it. When he stands up he's holding a photo album. It's a one of those small flip ones that hold a single photo in a plastic cover, it's light purple in colour and Patrick is quickly flicking through it. He stops halfway through the book and hands it over to Teresa. She takes it off him and looks at the photo and back at him with a quizzical look. The photo is of the back of a house that has a air of familiarity about it. Jane points his finger at the photo.
"That's the back of the Malibu house. If you turn the pages there's some different angles. It's how it looked when we first moved in."
Patrick's office, the play room and observation balcony and the beautiful decking were no where to be seen. Teresa looks up at Patrick incredulously
"Are you telling me that the back of your house was an extension and that you did it?"
Patrick smiles at her.
"Yes. Though it's not an extension, the space is there I just reorganized it and changed the look."
Teresa is looking at the photo from all angles.
"Completely changed the look. You're house was beautiful"
"I hired help to make sure the observation balcony was safe and to fix the decking over the sea edge."
Jane moves towards her so he's looking over her shoulder at the photo and she feels his breath tickle her ear.
"So what do you say?"
She turns to look in his face and his eyes are shining with hope and excitement. She sees it change to gratitude and a little triumph as he reads her response before she gives it.
"Okay but..."
His face falls a little
"But...?"
"Let's go home so I can study those drawings, I'm sure there's something you've missed."
Patrick smiles.
"I doubt that very much."
He leans in to kiss her, her timing is impeccable as she ducks out of the way and heads back to the van.
"We'll see about that."
She makes a vow that she'll find something even if she has to make it up. A thought hits her and she turns.
" Oh, put that stuff away and bring the album with you and any others you have in the box. You shouldn't be packing away your memories like that Patrick."